New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-12
THE VACUUM MEN ON TRIAL
rrvopr TO HAVE THEM ACQUITTED
,vvv MACON ATTACHING PRESIDENT MAI
A.,.,ys-r,srMoSY OF WITNESSES TO THE Al
rrwprrp SALE OF THE BUFFALO WORKS.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

eef oTo
o. testimony by the defence tending to the peaciioN
~ n~s,dont Matthews OF the complaining company am
.how,po the motives Of that gentleman IN oreas .h
pufslo Iubricating Company. The aequi'. %, nirita
,hree New-York defendants yesterday rtsoo -. .he
n, the other two Mossrs. Everest, OF KocneSe a., NJ
aor, 10 secure their acquittal proved
Coygswell their counsel, argued that, Ill oruo- .. ,o
=. .,,a Ia necessary for the prosecution - Pio
-, .n ,o,s act ont In the Indictment because '"o'
IN ,,rdad in the one general crime by d ci' -, ,o
all the alleged overt acts. Inc uei' - IL NV Them
havs the nrosecution held TO the pIeaui"e ...,roo
The false actions were essential eicno" 80 octions
49,. ~ evidence was given to show that 'ie'o -
qua no ,her statements had not been matter "a
"' S,,sol .lso urged that the venue sno"u noo 10
10, 4, Erie County because 1t was not S"o" - a..
,,ar,ias TO the alleged conspiracy La" u s 1T on
puealo Judge Haight denied the inouon 10 "oI
the ground that the overt acts cn'uso" 49, curt
80 an Erie County and that another supreme -
-. haA refused 10 sustain demurrer maze oh 'n0
80. ,,-o,nds He gave the defence an eAceP'on'
Theodore Bacon then opened the case ~, ~ y. =. Emo
Tbere WAS an infamous conspiracy oh lno P A..
Bnffalo Company, the attorney sald' anu Una" -. 800
theys the prosecuting Witness nau ooo "o . o. ,h
a the machinery of justice in this great state r o
oso ~ sailing property worth 100000 or @'oooo
% Tho STANDARD Oil Company for $3OO,OOO. IL was
hrivate prosecution in furtherance OF matthews P
nal schemes but the DistretAttorney was DO, " o''
although tie taxpayers were put TO great eApcnSo "
ofa priy
shown ncrsonal irritation and evaporation winch "eie
not strange after the small results obtained from tne
omnatjon of the witnesses in the trial. lie had pceh
nestered embarrassed, and bored by this man, VINO was
the pcture of the first decever in the Garden OIL He
who was pouring evil thoughts and deceptive eApeo'
tons into Eye,s ear For eighteen months Matthews n
kent ND his intermnabe and ntoerable pursuit ana NO"
nod bosn unabe 70 exhibit the promised proofs SuDor
nation OF perjury had been charged, but not proven
The atrocities of the Standard had not peeh eAp'o
The bg fsh had broken out OF the net anu tere "oio
big tears for the little ones TO swim out Inc tunoo'
witness Miller had been taken when day ny
the Messr Everest had been promoted to place wneo
ha rot S1 ZOO annually and was to accumulate $6ooo
an feu years Matthews had been taken from Wyom-
ing farm and given work in the Vacuum WORKS MI
Matthews was empter, deceiyer, ana TRAITOR "noso
subtle venom of discomfort disappointed hopes ana eN
pectaons of infinite wealth, had been breathed hto
Milers ear Wilson, too, had been approached MAT
tbex had suggested to them to Buffalo start WORKS
and compel the Vacuum to buy out that there were
millions in it.
The attorney said that the false suits had not Dee
shown On the contrary, the prosecuting company ha"
been using the vacuums patents and still were using
them Mr. Bacon said that safety valves were made 10
How Off and the questions asked OF Lawyer Iruesae
simply related to Millers carclessness
Henry D. Clemens, of Hartford Conn, was examiner
st Cory PENN in April, 1888 The witness Mlller was
associated with Clemons Miller said that he was with
he
AGAINST the Standard Oil Company for S25OOoO, had
INDIGNANT I'm one suit and that Miller would receive
100000 as his share of these judgments Miller TAXED
about buying a house and said he would soon nave
plenty Of money. On eross-cxaminaton, Inc witness
id that he had talked with detective A. g. Mack about
coming here to testify
Edward j. Clenons a son OF the previous "tness'
eorrotorated his testimony.
Alfrod p Wright a commission merchant in the Board
Of Trade testified that he had two conversations Ill inc
fall OF 1885 with Charles Matthews. One talk was III tue
street and the other in Henry Morses Office ~ one OF
these Hiram Benedict was present They talked over
the value of the plant OF the Buffalo Works, which had
boen placed at $4,000 $4,000 At the first CONVEX
,at;on Mr. Matthews placed price Of 100000 on the
works. but subsequently this offer was reduced 10
100000 That was include the settlement OF All inc
eeal proceedings, both civil and criminal Mr Wright
was only interested in the matter because he wanted
Mr. Benedict get out OF the oil business ana nc "ou
Get commission on the sale of the works
o-when the $500 900 proposition made did you
saw YOU would not submit the proposition Al ala.
Tho s25OOO0 offer was made at the second interview,
The commission Mr. Wright sald he was as likely to get
from the seller as from the buyer When he was spoken
10 about selling tho works. he had in mind Daniel ODay
who he presumed was connected with the Standard, as
possible purchaser.
BENJAMIN Brewster the next witness, is treasurer OF
the STANDARD Oil Company. Mr.. Matthews was recalled
and testified that he did not recoec that in 1892 at Mr.
posed to sell the Buffalo Works to the Standard Oil Com
pany for 100000 Mr.. Brewster testified that Mr.
Matthews had made the proposition and that j. n Bos
wick was present at the time DIR Brewster said he had
been director the Standard Oil Trust since It's lorna
ton and was officially connected with several railroads
William o. Allison, former publisher of The o., RAM
and Drug Reporter testified that he knew MI Matthews
and had met him in Buffalo and in various other places
Odd Mr. Matthews tell you that the difficulty OF the
Buffalo Company could be settled Tor $3oOoOi A-1es
Odd you tell him that was excessive Ayes, sir;
o-Was that to include the dscontinuance of the civil
"1 ooWhere did you see him againl A.At Syracuse.
There he said that all offer OF $2oooOO might DC ae
0~Was the criminal indictment discussed there
Ale said he could do such things as would cause
settlement OF that proceeding There was talk about
the witness Miller, not being on hand wheh ne was
wanted
Attorney ouinby took the witness in hand and
said he proposed TO show that he owned by the
Standard Oil Company Mr. Allison smiled while the
lawyers discussed the matter and the questions were
excluded The judge said that the companies IN when
the defendants interested not on trial. Fred
erck G. saxton keeper of the Arcade Saloon at Cory,
testified that he had several conversations with Miller in
1885
Odd he tell you that II he had remained with the
standard Oil Company instead OF going of with the
Buffalo gang, he would be worth S350OOOi Objected to
and objection sustained. 80 .,.,
QDid he say you and Captain Mack that 1t was the
mistake of his life leaving the Standard for the Vacuum
Company, and he would get there againl Ayes, sir
.QDid he say TO you or either OF you extending MS
hand: PALM black, rough and itching and the
party that fills 1t the fullest get 1t and Inc :" A.
Yes, sir.
Odd he say that the suit against the Vacuum people
humbugll Ale said IL was a sham and we could
make money out OF 1t.
On the cross-examinaton saxton said that Captain
Mack had asked him TO get letters that Matthews
had written but lie failed TO get them He had not been
offered money get the letters but did 1t for friendship
John ID. Rockefeller, who summoned as a witness
for the prosecution, is indignant at some newspaper dis
fha
presence here Papers in the South and West have had
dispatches asserting that he TO watch his interests
end that Matthews had the Standard Company In such
tight place that their heaviest guns being brought
into play action for conspiracy will be brought
later, IL Is said.
LYNCH LAW IN NORTH CAROLINA
EDEsToS, N. c., May 10.-A young negro, Benjamin
Hart recently attempted TO assault young schoolgirl